Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that sets a moving image area, an image pickup apparatus, and a method of controlling the image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus that combines specific areas of an image.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) animation or a moving image, there has been known a method of performing visual expression by combining a still image and a moving image such that only part of the still image appears to be moving in the combined image. Here, this image is referred to as a still-and-moving image, and further, an area in which motion occurs in the still-and-moving image is referred to as a moving image area. Further, an area which is still in the still-and-moving image is referred to as a still area. This still area can also be referred to as an area which is masked (masked area).
To generate such a still-and-moving image, for example, there has been proposed a method of displaying areas divided using super pixels, on a display section, and setting a moving image area according to a touch operation on a touch panel (see WO2013/175051). The method disclosed in WO2013/175051 describes that the set moving image area is enlarged according to a user's touch operation.
FIGS. 8A to 8C are diagrams useful in explaining how to set a moving image area using the conventional method of generating a still-and-moving image, in which FIG. 8A shows setting of a moving image area, and FIG. 8B shows an erroneous touch operation. Further, FIG. 8C shows a state of the moving image area updated such that an area which is set as part of the moving image area by the erroneous operation is converted to part of the still image area.
In the illustrated example in FIGS. 8A to 8C, it is assumed that an area where a user desires to stop the motion (still area) and the moving image area are close to each other in the image. In this example, a person 801 is set as the still area, and an illumination 802 is set as the moving image area. Further, as for an area other than the person 801 and the illumination 802 (other area), although the user does not intend to set this area as a moving image area, he/she does not care even if any portion of this area is unintentionally touched to set the area as a portion of the moving image area.
Referring to FIG. 8A, to set the illumination 802 as the moving image area, the user touches an area corresponding thereto. By this touch operation, the illumination area is set as the moving image area (see FIG. 8B). In FIG. 8B, an area surrounded by broken lines is the moving image area.
By the way, the touch operation which is an input to the touch panel is a fine operation, and hence unless the user carefully performs the touch operation, the user sometimes touches a portion of an area which the user desires to set as a still area, as shown in FIG. 8B. This makes it impossible to make a setting of the moving image shown in FIG. 8C which is intended by the user. That is, there are cases where it is impossible to produce the still-and-moving image as shown in FIG. 8C in such a manner that the person 801 to be set as a still area is prevented from being set as a moving image area.
However, when setting the moving image area by a touch operation, if an area which the user intends to set as the moving image area and an area which the user intends to set as the still area are close to each other, the user is required to carefully and finely perform the touch operation. This makes it very difficult for the user to perform the touch operation.